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[CPAP] Struggling to sleep longer than 4 hrs
#1
Struggling to sleep longer than 4 hrs
I am a fairly new user 4.5 months. I don't have coverage or a RT - I had two consultations when I bought the air sense 11 with the dream wear full face mask. 
The first two weeks I was a rock star sleeping through the night, but at the end of those two weeks my mask started to burp and wake me up.
Setting were humidity on, Pressure was prescribed as 4-20 
the RT lowered it then to 4-18 and that was my last conversation without paying more. since then I have struggled to sleep through the night. Usually around 3.5 hrs I rip the mask off because I can't get it to seal properly again.

things i have tried 
took the humidity off as I live in Mexico and we have lots. Played with the pressure. I changed it from 4-20 again, 4-17 all the way down to 4-16 but I saw a rise in the events per hour increase.  When diagnosed I was having 39 per hour. I was going up to as high as 18 per hr when I lowered the pressure. 

What I have done recently and really thought this was going to work or had hopes. I bought the nasal pillow and a chin strap.  I don't know which is worse now. Tried the chin strap with full face dreamwear mask - and between the chin strap and the mask everything felt so tight on my face. I tried the nasal cushions and chin strap but I am a mouth breather so even with the chin strap and I would open my mouth of course it's going to wake me up and I felt like I couldn't breath properly with just breathing through my nose. Oh I also bought a pillow to keep me on my side. 
I can't keep buying masks they are expensive and because I live out of country there is all sorts of fee's associated with ordering from the USA and having it shipped. I can not seem to find anything local but those masks are expensive. 

any other ideas? other than a mouth tape. 

thanks I appreciate all answers - I am willing to try all kinds of settings.
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#2
RE: Struggling to sleep longer than 4 hrs
Welcome to Apnea Board,

You'll want to follow up the question with attaching an OSCAR chart.

I can make a guess right now, your pressure minimum 4 is too low. There's been frequent edits to the max pressure, but the CPAP only hits the max if there's real issues.

I would try these 2 things together, edit pressure minimum to 7 and add EPR 3 full time. Try it one night then post with comments tomorrow with the overnight OSCAR chart.
Mask Primer

Positional Apnea

Attach OSCAR, etc.

INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEBSITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
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#3
RE: Struggling to sleep longer than 4 hrs
Thank you! I slept longer than I have in months. I changed my pressure from 5 -16 to 7-16 with full face mask. I also started out at 7 instead of 4 and my EPR was already set at 3 full time.
 I have attached the report for last night.  It seems at the same time every night the same things happen. I have events and then the mask does leak. It did leak last night but I think it was because I was drooling. I got up wiped my face and mask (maybe not great) and tried again but it started that burping noise again just not as bad. 

I am wondering because I am a side sleeper mostly that I move and it moves the mask that is why I bought the nasal cushions ( can I use the same settings with the nasal as full face?) 

I am very grateful and I am hoping you can find more things I can tweek. Can't believe it was over 5 hrs of sleep in total with mask. 
I have attached 3 pictures I was not sure what info you needed
thank you


Attached Files Thumbnail(s)
           
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#4
RE: Struggling to sleep longer than 4 hrs
You're welcome.

Starting pressure 7 and EPR 3 gets you back to min 4, as seen in the charts. That's what EPR does, it reduces min pressure. This now would look in the charts to be a bilevel. Very helpful to users.

Also any pressure under 7 paired with EPR 3 hinders the EPR action until pressure crossed 7, because of the math involved.

Just educational info for you.

The mask? Going from full to nasal, some edit things, some don't. I would try just changing mask type for a night if you can, edit pressures if it's disruptive.

Otherwise try that a few days, monitor OSCAR and compare to how you feel.
Mask Primer

Positional Apnea

Attach OSCAR, etc.

INFORMATION ON APNEA BOARD FORUMS OR ON APNEABOARD.COM SHOULD NOT BE CONSIDERED MEDICAL ADVICE. ALWAYS SEEK THE ADVICE OF A PHYSICIAN BEFORE SEEKING TREATMENT FOR MEDICAL CONDITIONS, INCLUDING SLEEP APNEA. INFORMATION POSTED ON THE APNEA BOARD WEBSITE AND FORUMS ARE PERSONAL OPINION ONLY AND NOT NECESSARILY A STATEMENT OF FACT.
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#5
RE: Struggling to sleep longer than 4 hrs
It would be helpful if you could change your Oscar chart a little.  When you go to copy your chart, hit f12.  That will generally show the items we need to see, such as the left panel and the five chart items we need; Event Flags, Flow Rate, Pressure, Leak Rate, and Flow limits.

Also, we need to be able to read to the very bottom of the Flow Limits.  Thanks. Smile
Machine:  ResMed AirCurve 10 Vauto
Mask:  Bleep DreamPort Sleep Solution
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